Please welcome new member Katherine Methner with the Harrison City Market (https://www.harrisoncitymarket.com/). The Harrison City Market began with a vision and became a reality October 20, 2017. The Harrison City Manager, Tracey Beadle and Kathy Methner of Middle Michigan Development Corp. have worked on the project to its completion. The market was funded through a $250,000 USDA Rural Business Development Grant; a $20,000 Community Facilities Grant; and a $247,809 contribution from the City of Harrison. The Harrison City Market houses an all season farmers market, a commercial kitchen and business incubator.

Events & Training Committee (Cheryl LeClaire-Chair, Madelyn Pinder, Sandra Cochrane, Jeff McIntyre). There will be three Virtual Member Meetings in 2021. They will all take place via Zoom at 2:00 PM on each scheduled day.

• February 22^nd will be hosted by the WMed Innovation Center
• August 16^th meeting will be hosted by the MTEC SmartZone
• November 8^th meeting will be hosted by Ann Arbor SPARK.

Mark your calendars now and plan to participate. We'll see you then!

Ann Arbor SPARK: Learn about the business growth shaping the #AnnArbor region in our latest annual report! Check it out here: http://a2spark.org/AR19.

WMed Innovation Center: The first Kalamazoo Venture Tuesday of 2021 will take place via Microsoft Teams on 1/26. More information on the presenters and panelists, as well as registration, is at http://ow.ly/3jw250COx4V. #KVT

TechTown: Thank you @GovWhitmer for the actions taken last week that will help Detroit small businesses during this difficult time. https://twitter.com/techtowndetroit/status/1343601859731353601
LEAP: PROTO Accelerator works to build a culture of innovation for corporate members and is solution-focused to help companies gain a competitive advantage. Learn more about how accelerator programs give startups direct access to leadership innovation: https://www.purelansing.com/accelerator-programs-give-startups-direct-access-to-leadership-innovation/

MEDC: True character shines through in times of crisis, and in 2020, Michigan's workforce, #entrepreneurs and small businesses have demonstrated the tenacity and resilience needed to meet any challenge. Read more: http://puremi.ch/3pdwsPr | #MichiganBusiness #MIGov2020

MTEC SmartZone: Be sure to sign up today for our upcoming Testing Tuesday event with XES and FinnZone! We have 3 exciting Finland-based companies presenting to a diverse US panel. For more details look here: https://buff.ly/37TJVGp

Congratulations to the individual and institutional members who are celebrating anniversaries with MBIA in January. We value your engagement with the organization and are so happy to have you as part of the group.

• The University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute, a founding member of MBIA, has had representative members since 2003.
• Former MBIA Treasurer Harry Blecker and his organization, the MI-SBDC, have been members since 2007.
• TechTown Detroit has had representative members since 2011.
• Jim Baker and the Michigan Technological University have been members since 2012.
• MBIA Board Member Joe Carr from Leap has been a member since 2018.
• MBIA Board Member Cheryl LeClaire from the MTEC SmartZone has been a member since 2018.

The 2020-2021 Michigan Entrepreneurial & Investment Landscape Guide is the state’s only comprehensive compilation of angel organizations, venture capital firms, entrepreneurial support organizations, and service providers active in Michigan’s growing entrepreneurial and investment community. In addition to the Guide, MVCA hosts an interactive Landscape Map on its website that allows users to navigate all the resources featured in the Guide by geographic location, industry sector, and organization type. Together, these tools provide people with the information needed to connect with Michigan’s entrepreneurial and investment community efficiently. Access the Landscape Guide.

The 2021 Advance Leadership Summit will take place on January 27, 2021. InBIA’s one-day Advance Leadership Summit will feature thought-provoking panels and intimate conversations with experienced peers and industry thought leaders, including author Brad Feld. Topics will include attracting and encouraging new resources and how to leverage policy, among other strategic discussions. All attendees will receive a copy of Brad’s new book, The Startup Community Way.

Early bird pricing of $175 ends January 8th, so register soon.

There is a new resource available that is being picked up by several incubators/accelerators across the state. Entrepreneurial Leap is a new book and program by Gino Wickman, creator of EOS/Traction. In addition to the new book he has written for aspiring entrepreneurs, he has also put together tools and a coaching program to go along with it. It is all free with the exception of book purchases, and those books are discounted 50% for bundles of 20 or more. For purchases of 100+ books, Gino will participate in a one-hour engagement with an organization. Gino is currently looking for entrepreneurial support organizations that would like to collaborate. Check out his website (https://e-leap.com/) for more information and to contact him to further discussion.